Modern Love - A Collection of Romantic Shorts

Wrestling with Love - I

The end of the year bonfire for the team was, per usual, raucous. The wrestlers had all done well, with many of the seniors having had their personal bests for scoring and matches. With the dust of the State Championships falling off their feet, the young men and women were enjoying a night of celebration.

Diana watched from her position on a log, enjoying the show as her twin boys laughed and joked with their teammates. Although the kids were all celebrating, the parents were, too. It had been a long season of tourneys and training and practices. There wasn't a single adult there with a wrestler on the team who wasn't feeling the same sense of relief that the end was upon them.

Some of the parents had more years to face. Several had younger kids who would try out for and no doubt make the high school's junior varsity and varsity teams. Others had boys or girls that had successfully made it onto a college or university team. Diana, however, was one of the handful of parents who'd made it this far who were actually done: neither of her boys intended to do any more wrestling now that they were graduating.

"Mind if I join you?" Mike, the head coach asked.

Diana smiled at him and shook her head, gesturing to the open spot on the log on which she sat. Mike settled in, his knees creaking just a little as he did – a throwback to his own wrestling days. As his shoulder brushed against Diana's, he jogged his head to her boys.

"They did good this year," he said quietly, his voice catching her ears but not carrying over the expanse of the crackling fire. Diana's eyes turned back to Raymond and Drake as she nodded.

"They did," she agreed.

Both boys had started wrestling as young children, when their dad was still alive. Kirk had been a wrestler when he was young and he'd all but salivated at the idea of his two boys doing the same from the moment they'd been born. The day they'd had their first practice, their five-year-old ears covered in headgear and their feet squished into narrow black wrestling shoes, Kirk had walked around like he'd won the lottery.

"They told me they weren't going to continue," Mike noted, catching Diana's eyes. She nodded again and sighed.

"Drake got onto the baseball team at WSU and Ray's heading for the Marines in just a few weeks," Diana confirmed.

"You okay with that?" Mike asked curiously, his eyes holding caution until he saw Diana smile.

"Oh, yes," she replied. "They wanted to finish what they started, but they never had the pull Kirk had," she explained.

Although she hadn't thought of it when Kirk passed, when the wrestling season had come around after his death, Diana hadn't been sure the boys would do it. They'd always enjoyed the physical exercise, but the push to be on the team had come from their dad. Now, two years later, it didn't surprise her that they'd both decided to let it go. Each had - in different words - told her that they'd felt like it was time to move forward.

"And what about you?" Mike asked, shifting a little on the log and brushing her shoulder once more.

"What about me?" Diana asked, confused.

"You've been a wrestling mom for a long time, Da," Mike responded, his voice carrying an undertone that she couldn't quite place. "The team won't be the same without you there, screaming at the tourneys and offering a shoulder when the matches don't go our way."

Diana laughed softly, shaking her head. She had been a wrestling mom for a long time. Although she had her own interests, of course, she'd nevertheless thrown herself into supporting her boys and their team. Every wrestling season for over a decade, she'd been fundraising and making signs, chauffeuring kids, cleaning and stitching singlets, and doing all manner of other things to help.

"Don't fret, Coach," Diana finally said, a grin on her lips as she leaned into Mike playfully. "There's new blood. You won't be all alone out there," she noted.

Mike's left brow rose as he fought a smile. Diana's easy nature had always been a blessing at the practices and tourneys. She was enthusiastic and cheerful. There was no replacing the light she brought to the team. But, while he disagreed with her assessment, he'd never been able to stop himself from smiling when she teased him.

He was about to tell her the first part when he noticed her shiver. Although it was May, the air was cool and the bonfire was several feet away from the log they were on. So, shifting a little, Mike pulled off the head coach jacket he had on and draped it around her shoulders.

"Oh," Diana said, beginning to protest. "It's alright. I can-"

"Wear my coat until you get home so that you don't catch a chill?" Mike cut in, giving her a look. Diana huffed a little and then slipped her arms through the sleeves, causing Mike to chuckle.

Although not in the shape he'd once been in, Mike was still fairly fit and had the build of a wrestler. His chest and arms were large and muscled and his jackets, of necessity, were purchased accordingly. Diana, meanwhile, was petite. She was swallowed by his coat, her fingertips barely coming out of the sleeves until she pulled them up.

"Oh, hush," she ordered him, her lips quirking.

Over the years, Diana had been the butt of many a well-meaning joke about her size. She was, in her boys' joking way, often referred to as their "Little Mama." When the two of them had their growth spurts, they'd taken to resting their forearms on the top of her head to emphasize their point. She'd had to remind them that she knew where they slept many times.

Mike laughed in response and turned back to look at the fire, unable to control the lingering smile on his face. If he didn't think about it, then he could just enjoy the night, sitting next to her. It was better than the alternative, which was accepting that he'd be without her now that her boys were grown and moving on. Unfortunately, though, the thought spiked through his consciousness and must have reflected on his face, because a bare second later, a small, soft hand touched his upper arm.

"Mike?" Diana asked, her brows pulled together. He leaned his forearms on his knees as he stared into the flickering flames for a second before responding.

"It's nothing, Da," he said after a moment. "Just end of the season blues," he covered, flicking his lips up even though he was certain the smile didn't reflect in his eyes. Diana nodded slightly, accepting his lie without any appearance that she knew it was one.

She'd never known.

"Well," she finally said after another minute of being mesmerized by the flames. "Don't forget that I have a giant S plastered on my forehead, Mike," she commented with amusement.

"This sucker is happy to help out with whatever the team needs," she offered. Mike's smile had an edge of sadness about it that she missed when he replied.

"The team will definitely need you."